The Ouran Hostess
by BoxingBunny
Summary: Back in her era and under the guardianship of a certain dog demon, Kagome is now attending Ouran Academy. Feeling lonely and out of place she has an encounter with the Ouran Host Club. Will she find somewhere to belong or something more?
1. Chapter 1

AN: -String of expletives that I refuse to type- I have no idea how many times I've tried to write this chapter. Something just never seemed quite right. Here goes another try. This is something that I was supposed to have posted forever ago after I finished 'Why Guys Like Girls' and never got around to finishing the first chapter. But now I hate what I had written for the first chapter. Here are my few little notes about this story:  
-I've only seen the anime since I just don't have the time to read the manga right now. Though I will do what extra research I can via Wikipedia so that all of my facts are straight.  
-This isn't set during any particular point in the series. I'm going to say that it's before Hunny/Mori graduate.  
-Don't expect this story to follow the series event-for-event. I think that's boring. I'm not going to take a pre-written story and just insert Kagome's commentary over it. This is fanfiction. A new character is being introduced into their world and things are deviating from there.  
Hope you enjoy.

Disclaimer: I don't own, please don't sue!

* * *

The Ouran Hostess

Chapter One

Kagome listened to the light tapping that her shoes made as she walked the tiled hallways of Ouran Academy's high school building. The halls had already emptied for the day, and the only students that remained in the building were the ones involved with their club activities. She had lost track of how many clubs she'd tried, but Kagome hadn't been able to find a single group where she felt like she belonged.

The students were nice enough but many of them tended to be fickle and flighty. They had never experienced the hardships of the world and seemed almost disconnected from the plight of the average man. But she couldn't really blame or begrudge them. They had grown up in lives of luxury where they'd had every opportunity in the world offered to them.

Though maybe it wasn't the clubs or the people in them that left Kagome bored out of her mind; maybe it was her. After traveling through time and battling demons for more than a year, her definition of "interesting" had changed considerably. And after the deep, almost familial bonds that she'd formed in the past, the acquaintanceships offered at present seemed a little shallow and lackluster. Then again, her apathy for her current school might be some form of silent protest at having to leave her previous school.

It had been a little more than two months since Sesshoumaru had approached her in the modern era. When the jewel had been completed after Naraku's defeat Kagome had been sent back to her time permanently. Within the week, Sesshoumaru had appeared on her doorstep. After many questions and only a few short answers, the ancient demon—who didn't look a day over twenty-seven—had informed her that he wished to name her as the heir to the modern empire he had built over the last couple of centuries.

He had cited his reasons as something to do with honor and duty and a promise to his half-brother, but Kagome had eventually gotten him to admit that deep down he was simply tired of dealing with humans. Sesshoumaru was perfectly content to train his brother's priestess, hand over the metaphorical reins, and retire to a remote location where he could enjoy his privacy once more.

Kagome had been hesitant, but when she saw her mother's face light up she knew that her fate was sealed. Her mother had been ecstatic at the chance for her daughter to have such a bright future. And finally, Kagome had reasoned with herself that if she agreed to become Sesshoumaru's heir she would be able to easily support her family for the rest of their lives. It was less than one week later that Kagome was taken from her modest life at her family's shrine and thrust into the lap of luxury.

Rolling her eyes and stopping by one of the hall's large windows, Kagome looked out at the detailed buildings that filled the grounds of Ouran Academy. Sesshoumaru had insisted—demanded, really—that she attend the esteemed school. She knew that this was where everybody who was anybody sent their children. Almost all of the students were set to inherit or take high positions within their family companies, businesses, and organizations. But Kagome couldn't see what the big deal was. A high school education was a high school education. Sesshoumaru would be the one teaching her what she needed to know about his company. She suspected that sending her here was more for appearances and prestige than anything else.

At least she had gotten past being dumped in Sesshoumaru's city home. She'd needed to move closer to her new school, but it turned out that her new guardian didn't live any closer to Ouran than her family did. The dog demon didn't even live within Tokyo city limits; he'd made the excuse of his more animalistic side needing open spaces, but Kagome had translated that into being mildly claustrophobic. So she had been placed within the "small" home that he kept in the city. It turned out that "small" was a very relative term. The manor was easily twice the size of her family home, but compared to Sesshoumaru's main estate she could see why he called it small.

Kagome sighed before she began to walk once more. For all that the elite school had to offer, she couldn't shake her boredom or loneliness. Her home wasn't much better. It was fitted with every comfort available, but living alone was steadily driving her crazy. _'Maybe I shouldn't have told Sesshoumaru that I didn't want any servants or cooks,'_ she thought as she approached a set of stairs. _'I don't want to be waited on, but at least then there would be someone to talk to.'_

Distracted by her thoughts, Kagome completely missed the small spill of water that had puddled at the top of the steps. The black slip-on shoes that were part of the Ouran girl's uniform lost what little traction they offered when Kagome's foot came down in the puddle. With a surprised gasp, Kagome's hand shot out to grab the staircase railing only to have her fingers barely graze the polished wood as her feet slipped out from under her. A short scream was all that she got out before her body hit the steps and knocked the air from her lungs.

* * *

The Host Club had closed for the day and the members were tidying up Music Room Three as they discussed what their next big theme would be. It had been a successful day even though they hadn't done anything special; not every day was able to be a production.

"Gladiators!" The twins shouted in unison. They honestly couldn't care less about what theme they next used, but Tamaki was entirely too easy to rile up.

"No," Tamaki said firmly as he glared at the duo. "Our next theme shall be Arabian Nights and that's final. Your king has spoken." Turning his nose up in a huff, he walked to where Kyouya sat to work out the details.

Haruhi rolled her eyes as she picked up her school bag and walked towards the clubroom door. She opened the door a fraction before calling out to their excitable club president, "I'm leaving Tamaki-senpai." When the blonde's wide eyes snapped up to look at her, Haruhi knew that she'd made a mistake. It was too late to quietly slip away now though.

"You can't leave yet, Haruhi," Tamaki cried as he rushed to keep the girl from exiting the room. "We have to discuss costumes and snacks and decorations—"

Cutting off the older boy before he could continue to rattle off what was surely a long list, Haruhi said, "I'm sure that you can do all of that without me, senpai. Besides, I have a paper that I need to get started on for—" But Haruhi stopped short and felt her back stiffen when a feminine scream echoed through the halls.

Shocked chocolate eyes met violet before both ran through door to find out what had happened. They both registered the other footfalls behind them, but none stopped until they got to the end of the hall and looked around for any sign of the one who had screamed. It was Hunny that called out first, "Down there!"

The club members followed his pointed finger down to the bottom of the staircase where they saw the prone form of a yellow-clad young woman. Haruhi was the first to spring into action as she carefully ran down the steps to kneel beside the still girl. Holding her hand in front of the girls face, Haruhi relaxed a little with the knowledge that the unconscious student was breathing evenly. "Kyouya-senpai," she said looking back towards the upper landing. "You know more about first-aid than I do, could you make sure that she's okay?"

Kyouya's dark grey eyes scanned over the young woman before he descended the stairs at an even pace and was quickly followed by the other hosts. Haruhi moved as the bespectacled young man knelt down and gently pushed the unconscious girl onto her back. Quickly checking her head for any cuts or obvious bruises, Kyouya checked her breathing once again before moving onto other areas that would be easily injured in a fall. Long fingers gently pressed their way down both sides of the girl's ribcage before moving on to bend and prod wrists and ankles. "Nothing seems to be broken or seriously injured," he concluded aloud as he pushed his glasses farther up the bridge of his nose. "She likely hit her head during her fall and was knocked unconscious. I doubt that it's anything serious, but if she doesn't wake up within the next twenty minutes or so she will likely need medical attention."

Tamaki, considerably more sober, nodded his head. "Then let's take her back to the club room and let her rest there," he stated quietly. "Like you said, Kyouya, if she isn't awake soon then we'll call a doctor."

Without another word said, Mori stepped forward and gently scooped up the petite girl while being careful with her head before the group anxiously made their way back to Music Room Three.

* * *

As soon as the darkness began to lift from Kagome's mind she instantly wished that it would have stayed a little longer. A sharp pain raced through her head when she tried to open her eyes causing her to groan softly. Slowly cracking open one eye, Kagome flinched at the throb in her head before she opened the other eye and blinked to clear her vision.

Her fingers smoothed over soft velvet as she realized that she was resting on a plush couch with an equally soft pillow underneath her head. Lifting a slightly shaky hand, Kagome touched the cool cloth that rested on her forehead and began to take more stock of her surroundings. The room had high ceilings and was warmly decorated in shades of soft pinks and golds. Gradually, tones that had been hushed began to grow in volume and let Kagome know that she wasn't alone.

"Please, Haruhi," one voice whined. "You would look so cute as an Arabian Princess!"

"No, senpai," a voice replied in a flat but clearly exasperated tone.

"We're with you, boss," two voices intoned together. "We show skin all the time. I think it's time Haruhi joined in," one of the voice continued and Kagome could practically see the cheeky grin that accompanied the statement.

"Oh shut-up, Hikaru," the tired voice bit out.

"Hikaru!" The first voice cried out in something akin to horror. "How dare you suggest my little girl "show some skin" in such an indecent way?"

Kagome slowly pushed herself into a sitting position and took a deep breath when a small dizzy spell made the room tilt. She was vaguely aware of the bickering behind her but flinched again as a small voice called out, "She's awake!"

Before she was entirely sure of what was going on, Kagome felt the couch dip to her left and looked up to see a young man with blonde hair and honest, violet eyes capture one of her hands with both of his. "Princess," he began in a soft voice, "how are you feeling?"

_'Princess?' _Kagome thought. Blinking a few more times to clear her thoughts, she answered, "My head hurts a little."

No sooner had the words left her mouth than a small tray with a glass of water and two aspirin was placed on the coffee table in front of her. "That's to be expected," a smooth voice answered.

Kagome looked up and locked eyes with the tall boy standing on the other side of the table. Dark hair fell across his forehead and bits of light reflected off of his glasses. "Thank you," she responded as she took the aspirin with hopes of soothing her headache.

"It's no problem," the boy with the glasses answered with a smile. But Kagome drew back slightly as she studied the boy. He was handsome and his smile was charming, but she could see that it was fake. She was sure that it was well practiced and was able to fool most people, but it didn't reach his eyes. While polite, his eyes were standoffish and guarded as he seemed to simply observe with a calculated gaze. It made a shiver run down her spine.

The couch dipped again to her right and Kagome turned her attention to a young man with short brown hair and deep chocolate eyes. "Don't pay any attention to them," he smiled easily. Kagome found herself smiling back at the sincere display. "We heard you scream earlier and it looked like you fell down the stairs. Are you alright?"

Kagome gently touched the sorest part of her scalp and winced slightly but didn't feel anything but a small bump. "I think so," she answered. "I think I just hit my head, but it doesn't feel that bad."

"That's good," the petite boy nodded. "I'm Haruhi Fujioka," he introduced.

As her thoughts continued to clear, Kagome remembered the light argument that she'd heard as she woke up. _'Haruhi?'_ She thought. _'Didn't one of the others call Haruhi his Little Girl?' _Shaking aside the thought for the moment, Kagome responded, "My name is Kagome Higurashi. It's nice to meet you."

"You're in our class, right?" Two voices spoke in perfect harmony as two identical faces appeared over Haruhi's shoulders. Kagome had to blink a few more times to make sure that she wasn't seeing double.

Studying the pair closely, Kagome realized that she did recognize them from class along with Haruhi. Nodding slowly so as not to aggravate her headache, she said, "Yeah, Class 1-A."

"Why haven't we ever seen you before?" A small blonde boy asked curiously as he hugged a pink plush rabbit to his chest.

Before Kagome could answer, the boy who had brought the water and aspirin opened a black folder and began to speak. "That's because Miss Higurashi only recently transferred into Ouran. Mid-term, am I correct?" He questioned her despite obviously already knowing the answer. At her small nod he continued. "You attended a much less exclusive high school in another part of Tokyo before coming here. Granddaughter of the resident priest of the Higurashi Shrine. I know that you aren't attending on a scholarship, so I'm curious as to how you were admitted?" The expectant gaze he settled on her made Kagome a little nervous.

"Kyouya-senpai!" Haruhi reprimanded. "You're being rude."

"Yes, Kyouya," the tall blonde boy to her left agreed. "Kagome has been through enough today without you interrogating her."

Kyouya snapped his folder shut as he turned to say something to the blonde only to be cut off by Kagome. "I'm sorry," she said as she looked at all of the handsome young men around her. "But who are all of you?"

The blonde beside her instantly turned towards her with a brilliant smile in place as he took her hand once more and leaned in close. "My dear lady," he spoke in low, smooth tones. "I am Tamaki Suoh, King of the Ouran Host Club and servant to your every whim."

Once the statement sank in, a choked laugh escaped Kagome's throat before her free hand flew to cover her mouth. She had a small flashback to a flirtatious monk with eyes a shade darker violet than the ones staring at her now.

Behind her she could hear the twins laugh loudly as Tamaki's face fell. "Looks like this is one girl who won't fall for your charms, boss," the slightly deeper voice of Hikaru crowed.

As a small argument and some good-natured ribbing began, Kagome watched the group with a slightly awed expression. Where had this group of teens been hiding during her two months at Ouran? She watched them tease and bicker and laugh, and she could only think one thing. _'They're like their own little family.'_

"The Ouran Host Club?" Kagome questioned slowly, breaking through the arguing voices.

Seven sets of eyes turned to settle on her again as Tamaki beamed brightly at her once again. "That's right, princess," he said cheerfully. "The Ouran Host Club, where our sole promise is to please all who enter our doors," he finished with a flourished bow.

Kagome was silent for a while as she noticed a few of the club's members rolling their eyes at Tamaki's theatrics. "A…host club," she ventured tentatively. Tamaki straightened once more nodding proudly, but he stopped dead at Kagome's next words. "Can I join your club?"

* * *

AN: Ugh…I can't convey how much I dislike this chapter, but I really don't think it's going to get much better. It's a rocky start, but I swear that it's going to get better. I don't usually plan this far ahead with my stories and this is exactly why. I get ahead of myself and then have a hard time focusing on what I need to write right now. Things seem rushed and just blah. But I promise that it will get better and I'll try harder…Either way, it's very late (or early) in my part of the world, so I'm posting this and going to bed. Sorry for any errors or general sh*tty-ness. Let me know what you think! Thanks for reading.


	2. Chapter 2

AN: Wow guys! I didn't expect the response to this story that I got. You guys rock! I'm glad you like the last chapter more than I did. A couple of 'thank you' shout-outs: lovelypink84 for being by first reviewer, and FoolsTutor (I would have responded via PM, but there wasn't a login!). I'm glad that you picked that up about Kyouya. One thing I like to pride myself on is taking a basic, general idea and doing something a little different with it :)

Disclaimer: I don't own, please don't sue!

* * *

The Ouran Hostess

Chapter Two

The room was silent for a full five seconds as the young men and Haruhi were left speechless. But once Tamaki came out of his shock, his brain kicked into over-drive. "Kyouya!" He shouted as he grabbed his best friend's shoulders. "Can you believe it? Someone has actually asked to join out club!" He turned back to face Kagome with shining eyes. "Of course you can…wait, Kyouya?" Tamaki questioned as he lost a little steam. "We've never had anyone ask to join before. Do we have any guidelines in place for something like this?"

Kyouya placed on hand on his hip as he regarded the blonde president. "No, we don't," he answered flatly. "With the exception of Haruhi who joined to work off a debt, all of us have been with the club since it was established and you recruited us. Though since we run independently from the school, we can establish whatever guidelines we like."

Glancing towards each other with slightly worried expressions, the Hitachiin twins shared an unspoken concern. "But boss," Hikaru began only to have Kaoru finish the thought, "Kagome is a girl and this is a _host _club; we cater to girls."

Kagome watched as the group seemed to consider this point, but she tensed when she realized that Kyouya seemed to be sizing her up. She could see an idea take hold with him as his eyes shifted from appraising to thoughtful and a single delicate brow arched slightly.

"It may not be such a terrible idea," Kyouya stated slowly. Once he had the other's attention, he continued, "It's true that Miss Higurashi is a girl, but that might be quite advantageous. If she were to join the club there would be someone more relatable for our clients to chat with as they await their appointments with their usual requests. And if we were to go one step further, she may even begin to build her own client list. The club would be able to expand to include the male student body. Not only would this increase our budget for events, but it would very likely put a dent in the number of boys who complain to the school board about our activities."

Tamaki seemed to seriously consider the points made as he studied Kagome with a subdued expression. "Kagome," he addressed calmly. "Why do you want to join the Host Club?"

"I…" Kagome had to think about her answer for a moment. Why _did_ she want to join this club? She had just met the members and she didn't even know all of their names yet. And of all things, they were a _host club_. The idea sounded ridiculous. But as she looked at the teens around her she could tell that they weren't like any of the other clubs. It wasn't about the number of members that their club had or power plays. They were hesitant to let her be one of them because they were a family, and you don't allow just anyone to be part of your family.

Taking a breath, Kagome spoke again, "I don't know anyone at this school. When I transferred here I had to leave my friends and family behind. I've visited other clubs, but none of them seem to go beyond just club activities. I can tell that all of you are much closer than that. Don't get me wrong, I can completely understand if you don't want some stranger to start hanging around, but I would like the opportunity to get to know you so that we can hopefully become friends."

Tamaki's eyes had begun to water as his lip trembled at Kagome's words. But before he could say a word, two identical coughs came from behind Haruhi. "Boss," the twins said together before Kaoru picked up, "What about Haruhi's _situation_?"

This made the blonde president stand a little straighter as he considered the new piece of information. "Men!" He called. "Join me over here for a meeting," he ordered as he walked several feet away with his head held high. The boys quickly followed their leader leaving Kagome and Haruhi sitting on the couch to watch them talk in hushed tones.

Kagome looked at her companion as she asked, "Aren't you going to join them in their meeting?"

"Nah," Haruhi said as she leaned back into the couch and ran a hand over her face. "I really don't want to hear whatever they're saying about me."

Laughing lightly at the teen's quiet annoyance, Kagome decided to strike up a conversation. "So you joined the club to work off a debt?" She asked.

Haruhi glanced towards the guys who were occasionally throwing looks in the couch's direction before rolling her eyes and looking back to Kagome. "Yeah," she answered. "I'm an honor student here on a scholarship. I ran across the Host Club when I was looking for a place to study one day, but I accidentally broke a vase that they were planning to auction off. At first I was working off the debt by running their errands, but then they decided to make me a host." She shrugged at Kagome's surprised look. "It was annoying at first and they're usually idiots," she said as she waved a hand towards the boys, "but they're good guys and they grow on you."

"That's sweet in its own strange way," Kagome smiled.

"So Kyouya-senpai said you were from a shrine family," Haruhi said as she watched Kagome nod. "Except for me, all of the kids here come from super-rich families. I don't mean to sound rude, but how did you afford the tuition?"

It was Kagome's turn to shrug lightly as she gave a small hum. "An old acquaintance with no heir of his own decided to bring me in as his successor. I'm not supposed to say much about it yet, though. Apparently there's a lot of paperwork to get in order before he can make it official and "announce me to society" or something like that," she answered as she waved a hand in the air as though to dismiss the idea. "I'm not supposed to talk about it because he wants to avoid tabloids and rumors until it can be announced."

"That makes sense, I guess," Haruhi said with a thoughtful glance towards the ceiling.

The two sat in silence for a moment and Kagome observed the figure next to her who seemed to be lost in thought. Haruhi was about the same size as Kagome—extremely petite for a boy. But Kagome's head tilted to the side and her brows drew together as she took a closer look. It was very subtle unless you were really looking, but the hints of femininity were definitely there. The soft line of Haruhi's jaw, the large eyes, and there was just the slightest curve underneath the upper part of the school uniform's blazer. Chewing her lip for a moment, Kagome decided to plow ahead. "Haruhi," she began carefully. "Please don't take this the wrong way or anything, but…why are you wearing the boy's uniform?"

All of the air seemed to be sucked out of the room for a moment. Each boy from the huddled meeting turned to look at the pair seated on the couch. For Haruhi's part, she only chuckled as she rubbed the back of her head and said, "So you can tell, huh?"

Kagome laughed as well, relieved that no offence had been taken, as she said, "Yes, but I would be lying if I said it didn't take a minute to figure out. So why do you dress like a boy?"

The male members of the Host Club watched and listened as Haruhi relaxed completely as she told Kagome all of the details of her position within the club. Kagome listened with rapt attention, nodding and laughing and occasionally asking a question. All of the boys blinked as they realized that for the first time in a while, Haruhi looked like any other girl chatting with a girlfriend. And it was this thought—the thought of Haruhi having a female companion that was aware of her gender—that solidified Tamaki's decision.

With long strides, Tamaki came to stand before the two girls with one hand propped on his hip and the other pointing at Kagome. "You will be The Host Club's first official Hostess!" He said as though he was giving an order rather than granting permission.

As the other members came to stand around the couches again, Kyouya dryly remarked, "And we add another commoner to our ranks."

"Commoner?" Kagome asked incredulously.

Haruhi spared Kyouya a quick glare before saying, "Don't pay any attention to that. It won't be the last time you hear it. Like I said, they're mostly idiots, but you'll get used to it."

Kagome lifted a brow before deciding to let it go. She was the one who had asked to join their club, after all. She was about to speak again when the chiming of the school's clock caught everyone's attention. Looking out the windows, the room's occupants realized that the sun was already well into its descent.

Haruhi groaned, "I should have been home a long time ago. I still have to cook dinner and finish my homework for tomorrow."

"Us too," the twins said slightly disappointed. The day had actually been interesting.

Seeing the other members nod in agreement, Tamaki announced, "Alright then, seeing as we've gone past our usual club hours, we will pick this up tomorrow." Turning to look at their newest member, Tamaki continued, "Kagome, you will come to the clubroom tomorrow with Haruhi, Hikaru, and Kaoru. You will receive your hostess training then."

When Kagome happily agreed, Tamaki officially dismissed the Host Club for the day. As everyone left the music room, Hikaru and Kaoru flanked Kagome and Haruhi to drape an arm over each girl's shoulders. While Hikaru did it out of flirtatious habit, Kaoru did it to mirror his older brother and also steady Kagome who still had the occasional dizzy spell. As the club made their way to the school's gates, the four first-years chatted amongst themselves and Kagome was finally beginning to feel like she had friends again.

Blinking at the line of limousines and town cars, Kagome shrugged as she waved goodbye to Hunny and Mori. She could hear the twins arguing with Tamaki about who was going to give Haruhi a ride home, but she watched curiously as Kyouya dismissed his driver after a short conversation and came to stand beside Tamaki. The two dark-haired teens quietly watched Hikaru, Kaoru, and Tamaki argue over Haruhi's head until Kagome's curiosity got the best of her. "Why did you send your driver away, Kyouya-senpai?"

Kyouya glanced down at the girl who was standing a couple of feet away from him before he answered in a bored voice, "I'll be going home with Tamaki this evening. There were several club matters that we were unable to discuss but need to be addressed."

"Am I one of those "club matters" that need to be discussed?" She asked frankly.

"Yes," he replied with no hesitation.

_'At least he doesn't beat around the bush,' _Kagome thought as the twins finally beat out Tamaki and grinned victoriously while tugging Haruhi towards their limo.

For his part, Kyouya was directing a pouting Tamaki towards his own car as Kagome bid her farewells and began walking down the sidewalk. Tamaki instantly forgot his defeat and called after his club's newest member. "Aren't you going to wait for your car, Kagome?"

Stopping to look over her shoulder, Kagome said, "Oh, I don't have a car. I don't live far, so I walk between home and school."

Tamaki and the twins seemed appalled at the idea that Kagome was forced to walk home. "You poor thing!" Tamaki cried as he broke away from Kyouya and enveloped a stunned Kagome in a hug. "All of your money must have been invested into our fine school and now you don't have any left for something as basic as transportation," he lamented on Kagome's behalf as his imagination quickly ran away with him.

"Um, Tamaki-senpai, that's not it. It's really not a big deal—" Kagome tried to reassure the blonde before she was cut off again.

"I cannot allow such a delicate young lady to walk home unprotected. Come! Kyouya and I will give you a ride," Tamaki decided as he grabbed Kagome's hand and pulled her along behind him.

Kagome was at a loss for words. Was Tamaki always like this? What had she gotten herself into when she asked to be part of their club? "Tamaki-senpai," she tried again as they reached the door of the limousine. "I really don't mind walking, I do it all the time."

"You won't be able to talk him out of it," Kyouya's smooth voice called from within the darkened car. "You might as well get in and accept the ride."

Sighing deeply, Kagome allowed herself to be ushered into one of the plush leather seats. Once Tamaki was also inside and the door was shut, Kagome told the driver where she lived and reclined into her seat. Awkward was a good word to describe the atmosphere inside the limo. Kagome fidgeted nervously as Kyouya sat ignoring all other occupants as he jotted down notes in his notebook after doing some calculations on a small calculator and Tamaki smiled at her brightly. _'They seem really close, but they're like night and day,' _she thought.

She glanced around the interior before turning to look out the rear window and saying, "I think Hikaru, Kaoru, and Haruhi are following us."

"What?" Tamaki cried as he whipped around to glare at the following car. Apparently he was still sore that they had been the ones to give Haruhi a ride home that day.

"I'm sure Haruhi is thrilled about this little detour," Kyouya quipped sarcastically from his seat.

Since Kagome only lived a few streets away from the school it wasn't long at all until the cars stopped in front of the small manor she called home. When the door was opened Tamaki's driver offered his hand to help her out of the limousine. Stepping out after her, Tamaki looked over Kagome's home with gleeful eyes. The exterior was much more traditional than any of the other club members' homes!

As Kagome walked up to the large iron gate she entered a five-digit code on a number pad and watched as the gates slid open. Turning back to look at the expectant face of the club president, Kagome laughed nervously before asking, "Would you like to come inside Tamaki-senpai?"

"How gracious of you to ask, Kagome!" Tamaki cheered before instructing his driver to pull into the rounded driveway in front of the manor. As the two limousines pulled into the driveway and the gate shut, Tamaki followed Kagome up the walkway to the front door.

Kagome unlocked the door as the others exited their vehicles and held the door open as she stepped inside and offered them entrance. As Kyouya tried to temper Tamaki's fussing over the fusion of western and eastern décor, the twins and Haruhi held back to speak with Kagome as she shut the door.

"This is bigger than I thought that it would be since you're from a commoner family," Hikaru casually said before Haruhi's elbow connected with his ribs.

"It's still a lot smaller than our estate though," Kaoru added as he glanced around the entrance hallway.

Kagome smiled a little unsurely as she said, "Well this is the home that my guardian typically uses when he has to stay in the city for several days or more. His main estate is much farther away."

"I see," said Kyouya as he pulled Tamaki back to the rest of the group. "And who exactly did you say your guardian was?"

"I didn't," Kagome answered with a tight smile. While he hadn't been outwardly rude or insulting, Kagome found that Kyouya's direct yet apathetic way of speaking to her was beginning to wear her patience thin. "Like I told Haruhi earlier, I'm not allowed to talk about my guardian specifically until I'm formally announced as his heir and introduced into society."

"So Kagome," Tamaki began as he took notice of the quiet house. "Where is the house staff? Is it normal for no one to greet you when you get home?"

Kagome smiled at the confused blonde before she clarified, "There is no house staff." When the others, with the exception of Haruhi, looked at her as thought the concept was completely foreign, she continued, "I didn't want to be waited on, so I said that I didn't want any servants or cooks or drivers. That's why I don't have a car. I'm perfectly able to take care of myself; I cook, do my own laundry, and clean up whatever messes I make. I think a maid does come once or twice a week to change linens and dust the rooms that I don't use, but that's about it."

While the others needed a moment for the knowledge that Kagome lived with no servants to sink in, Haruhi was concerned with another fact. "Do you mean you live in this big house completely alone?"

"Not completely," Kagome beamed. "I have Kirara."

The twins snapped back into the conversation before the older boys as they asked, "Who's Kirara?"

Kagome moved to speak before she stopped herself, held up a single finger, and stepped past the entryway and into the larger foyer. She glanced into the adjoining rooms before placing a hand on her hip and whistling lightly. Things were quiet for a moment, but then the soft tinkling of a bell was heard echoing down from the stairway to the second floor. Soon enough a small cream-colored cat with black markings and a fluffy tail came bounding down the steps before leaping happily into Kagome's arms.

Laughing as the cat rubbed against her cheek, Kagome carried Kirara over her new friends. "This is Kirara," she introduced. "Kirara, these are my new friends from school."

As Tamaki instantly began cooing over the small cat, Kyouya shook his head. Why bother telling the cat who they were? It was a cat. It wasn't like it would understand or remember.

"So it's just you and your cat?" Hikaru asked as he watched Kagome hand Kirara over to Tamaki.

Nodding, Kagome added, "My family has been to visit me a couple of times since I moved in here, though. And I'm going to try to visit them whenever I'm able." When Kagome turned back to speak with Tamaki and play with Kirara, the other hosts looked to one another as they realized that Kagome may just fit in perfectly with their group of reformed outcasts.

After a short tour of the house and a few skillfully hedged questions on Kagome's part, she showed the other club members to the door when Haruhi announced that she needed to head home. Kagome waved from the front steps of her home as the others drove away before she went back inside to start cooking her supper.

The limousine bound for the Suoh family's second estate was quiet for several minutes until Tamaki broke the silence. "Mommy?" He called softly as he watched the scenery pass by through the tinted window.

Kyouya suppressed a small chuckle at the strange term of endearment his best friend had taken to calling him before answering, "Yes, Daddy?"

"I think Kagome will make a good sister for my little girl," Tamaki said with a soft smile as he thought of the lonely girl who hopefully wouldn't be alone for much longer.

"Yes," Kyouya agreed as he flipped through several pages of his notebook that were filled with student information. Settling his gaze on the photo of a blue-eyed, raven-haired girl, he said, "I believe that Kagome will make a very good addition to the family."

* * *

AN: Oh my gosh you guys! I've gotten several more reviews while I was writing this chapter, and I have to say that you guys are really awesome! I'm so glad you like the first chapter (especially since I was so worried about it!). I'm finding Tamaki a little tricky to characterize since he tends to be all over the place. I like keeping people in character, so if you think I start deviating from anyone be sure to let me know! Though I will say that it might take a couple of chapters to get everyone nice and rounded out, and after some one-on-one time with Kagome the hosts will have their more in-depth personalities come to light. I've always struggled with dialogue and interactions with large groups. Okay, enough rambling from me. Thank you to everyone who has reviewed and put this story on alert or your favorites! Be sure to keep letting me know what you think. Thanks for reading!


	3. Chapter 3

SPECIAL AN: I urge all of you (writers and readers alike) to read a notice that I put at the top of my profile. It has nothing to do with me, but it's related to the site and the recent string of deleted stories. This is _not_ the site administrator's doing. Please read the full notice to find out who has really been behind the story removals. Thank you.

Regular AN: Again, you guys are awesome! I couldn't be happier with the feedback I'm getting. Special note to Fools Tutor: from here on out, I'll be putting my responses to you in the ending Note :) Without further ado, I present Chapter Three. I hope you enjoy.

Edited/Proofed (6/6/12): It was really late when I originally posted this and I was too tired to properly proof the chapter. I hopefully fixed all of the errors now.

Disclaimer: I don't own, please don't sue!

* * *

The Ouran Hostess

Chapter Three

In the three weeks since Kagome had become a Hostess, a few things had become clear. Firstly, the regular customers loved having Kagome around. They had almost instantly been drawn in by the girl's cheerful smiles and kind compliments. Secondly, Kyouya had been right. The occasional young man had turned into a steady stream of requests for Kagome's time. The male students of Ouran Academy now saw the appeal of the Host Club; who wouldn't want to have tea with and be fussed over by an attractive member of the opposite sex?

And lastly, Kagome flourished around other people. After she'd had time to observe how the club worked it hadn't taken her long to find her stride and a new natural was born: The Nurturing Type. Kagome was whatever her clients needed her to be. Some of them needed an advisor, a friend, a confidence booster, an understanding ear to simply listen, and many other things. She brought out the best in everyone that she spent time with. Once she had found a comfortable space in which to open up and be herself, the students had been drawn in like moths to a flame.

The other hosts had been worried at first about Kagome spreading herself thin, but she never seemed to have a problem. Haruhi had once made the observation that Kagome acted like a mother with many children. Her attention had to be divided multiple ways, but she was able to make everyone feel special. She never forgot a name or a face or a problem.

The club's president and vice-president were very pleased with their latest recruit. Tamaki because not only was Kagome a natural at making others smile, but because she was truly happy when she made others happy. Kyouya, on the other hand, had finally put the club's budget in the black. With the extra customer traffic, he was able to breathe a little easier whenever Tamaki mentioned something a little more over-the-top than usual.

"Kago-chan!" Hunny called as he and Mori entered the clubroom. The diminutive blonde caught Kagome by the hands and spun around with her as she turned to face the pair.

Kagome laughed and smiled at the older boys. While she often had to remind herself that Hunny was indeed older than herself, she never had any trouble remembering Mori's seniority. "Hello Hunny-senpai, Mori-senpai," she greeted. "Did kendo practice run long again?"

"Yeah," Mori answered simply before his eyes fell to Hunny who was giving Kagome his best puppy eyes.

"Kago-chan," Hunny said as he tugged on her hand once more. "Did you bring the cookies that you promised?"

Smiling brightly, Kagome nodded. "I did," she answered. "I called my mom to make sure that I had her recipe correct, and I made them last night. They're in a blue container and I set them on top of your costume in the back. You guys should hurry up and change. You're running pretty late!"

"Right!" Hunny answered with a single, large nod before running towards the prep room as he waved over his shoulder. Mori followed his cousin at a slower pace, but he ruffled the top of Kagome's hair with a large hand as he passed.

Kagome wrinkled her nose as she reached up to smooth down her mussed hair and check her long braid. When she was sure that none of her flowers had fallen out, she pranced back towards her current table and listened to the swish of her grass skirt as she moved. The club had decided to go with a Hawaiian Luau theme for the day, and everyone loved it. The air was balmy and sweet with a multitude of tropical plants placed throughout the room. While she was wearing a grass skirt with an orange bandeau, the boys were all shirtless with sarongs in varying bright colors wrapped around their waists. Haruhi had been able to get away with wearing hers in a more toga-like fashion and none of the girls appeared to be any the wiser.

Casting a quick glance around the room, Kagome made a side-trip over to the club's small kitchenette so that she could grab a tray of fruity drinks that had been poured into coconut shells. The young men at her table blushed lightly when she returned with their drinks and sat down. "Hello, boys," she greeted with a smile. "How have you been? Oh! Before I forget, how did your date go, Hiroshi?"

The brunette second-year smiled as he said, "Very well! I'm so glad that I came to talk to you first. How did you know that Sayaka would like flowers better than chocolate?"

"A girl has her ways of knowing these things," she said with a casual shrug. When the boys looked between each other as though she'd just revealed a well-kept secret, Kagome laughed before correcting them. "I'm joking. I overheard her tell Tamaki that she was allergic to chocolate a couple of days before you asked me about it."

Kyouya watched all of the interactions between the hosts and the guests and nodded in satisfaction. The increase in business had taken some adjusting on everyone's part, but things were beginning to even out.

As the hosts moved onto their next client appointments, he noticed that another group of girls approached Kagome and all of them laughed as a couple of the girls reached out to touch Kagome's long hair. The Hostess removed a couple of the flowers from her own hair to tuck behind the ears of the guests.

Kyouya mused that it was very curious. There had been some concern that their clients would become jealous of another girl being so close to their favorite hosts, but the worry seemed to be for naught. There hadn't been any cattiness or pouting. The girls had taken to Kagome as though she were a sister who was there whenever they might need one. And for her part, Kagome never allowed any of the girls to intimidate her. They were of higher birth and social standing and several of them were obviously prettier, but all of that seemed to fall by the wayside.

Even if she wasn't the prettiest, she was the most eye-catching. With black hair that was kept much longer than most girls her age and deep blue eyes that always seemed to smile, she stood out. But more than that, Kagome always seemed to glow. It wasn't her lightly sun-kissed skin, but it was something from within. She always had the brightest smile and the warmest laugh. While many of the hosts had to put on their small acts around their clients, Kagome was able to be sincere as she gave all of herself to those around her.

Not that he would admit it to any of his friends, but Kyouya honestly found it difficult to ignore the girl. She was of lower breeding and held no acknowledgeable standing, so he had been ready to write her off as inconsequential. The only thing about her that had piqued his interest was her mystery guardian. He could have spent time digging around until he found an idea of who it might be, but what was the point? She would be announced eventually and, while it most likely wouldn't make a difference to him then, it certainly didn't matter to him now.

But try as he did to ignore the commoner girl in favor of more important things, he found himself watching her often. It had taken a while, but he had eventually been able to figure out what had first caught his attention. She was very much like his best-friend in many ways. Her facial expressions were open and honest. And while she seemed oblivious at times, she was very good at reading people and giving them what they needed.

Kyouya's thoughts were brought away from their hostess when a small rustling in the imported foliage caught his attention. A quick flash of yellow made him smirk slightly and follow after the pint-sized intruder.

Haruhi was on her way back to her guests with a tray of carefully balanced snacks when Kyouya's deep voice caught her attention. "Haruhi," the Shadow King called causing her to turn around. And it was lucky that she had as a blur of yellow and white wrapped itself around her middle.

"Bookworm!" A small voice cried happily. "Can you read to me today?"

Trying to reign in her surprise and keep her tray from toppling over, Haruhi was relieved when Kagome's hand appeared underneath the silver tray to steady things. Haruhi then turned her attention to the young girl looking up at her with large blue eyes. "Kirimi-chan? What are you doing here?"

"I came to see Big Brother," Kirimi chirped before her smile faded into a small pout. "But he still isn't finished with his club. So I came to see you!"

Haruhi was vaguely aware of handing her tray over to Kagome before she bent down to arrange Kirimi so that the small girl was balanced on her hip. "Kirimi-chan, I'm a little busy today," Haruhi hedged, but she quickly began to falter when tears sprang to the corners of the tiny blonde's eyes. Though before the waterworks could get into full-swing, a chocolate cookie appeared between the two girls.

After relieving Haruhi of her teetering tray, Kagome had turned to see her friend holding a little girl. _'She's so cute!'_ Kagome thought as she took in the blonde pigtails and wide blue eyes. But when said eyes began to water, Kagome had instantly recognized the look. _'Crocodile tears—someone isn't getting what they want. Well, I know how to put a stop to that.' _Quickly plucking a cookie from the tray she had just placed on a nearby table, Kagome tried to appease the child's sweet tooth.

Kirimi blinked several times before slowly reaching out to take the cookie. She looked to the one who had offered the treat, and when she saw Kagome's smiling face her excitement was almost tangible. "You have a girl now!" She cried as she turned back to Haruhi. "Your harem is finally finished!" Kagome choked at the little girl's statement while Haruhi merely groaned. "What's your name?" Kirimi asked with a wide smile.

Before Kagome could answer, Kyouya decided to speak up from where he had been observing the trio. "Kirimi," he said to catch the small girl's attention. "Haruhi and Kagome have appointments to keep."

At the little girl's stricken look, Kagome's heart melted. "Kirimi-chan," she said softly in hopes of cheering up the petite blonde, "how would you like to come sit with me at my table?" At Kirimi's questioning look, Kagome continued, "I have more cookies over there and I'm sure I could find a glass of milk for you." Holding her arms out when Kirimi began to wiggle in Haruhi's grasp, Kagome easily accepted the little girl onto her hip.

"Don't forget that you have your own clients, Kagome," Kyouya reminded as he leveled her with a look that he often gave the hosts during club hours; he wore a polite smile, but his eyes were firm to get his full meaning across. He had to make sure that things ran smoothly. After all, if he didn't then no one else would.

Completely unfazed by the Shadow King's pointed look, Kagome smiled as she said, "Don't worry, Kyouya-senpai; I'm sure Kirimi-chan will be on her best behavior." Turning her attention to the girl in her arms, she asked, "You'll be able to sit quietly while I braid flowers into your hair, won't you?"

Kirimi's eyes drifted towards Kagome's long braid which was woven with brightly-hued blooms, and she nodded excitedly at the prospect of having her hair in a similar fashion.

"See?" Kagome chirped as she beamed at Kyouya before flouncing away.

Haruhi stood quietly as she watched Kyouya narrow his eyes by the slightest fraction. Kagome had only been cowed by Kyouya for a short while before she realized that he was all bark and no bite...for the most part. Then the tables had quickly turned, and while she was always respectful towards the older boy, Kagome gave Kyouya a fair amount more sass than anyone else dared. It had provided the other club members—especially the twins—with a great deal of entertainment. After their little episodes, Kagome always managed to look like the cat that had gotten into the cream while Kyouya ground his teeth silently.

Taking a deep breath through his nose, Kyouya pushed up his glasses before casting a glance in Haruhi's direction. "Back to work, Haruhi," he said with all of his usual calm as he turned to go check on the other hosts. Whether she was inconsequential or interesting or completely immaterial, Kyouya was sure that this was just the beginning of Kagome working her way under his skin.

* * *

Kagome waved as her last group of guests left for the day. The afternoon had gone smoothly even with the addition of a little girl to her lap. While spending time with some of her usual clients, Kagome had deftly taken down Kirimi's pigtails before finger-combing through the soft strands.

For her part, Kirimi had been content to eat her cookies as Kagome's nimble fingers began to weave together many small braids. Gradually, the older girl had taken the small braids to fold in with loose strands and make larger braids. The final result was an intricate work of twists that fell down Kirimi's back with many small flowers tucked here and there.

The hosts were still straightening up their music room when one of the side doors opened quietly. "Kirimi?" A deep voice echoed ominously.

Kagome watched curiously as Tamaki's back went ramrod straight, but her attention was quickly diverted when her tiny companion took off running towards the voice.

"Big Brother!" Kirimi called happily as she reached her sibling.

Kneeling down to the girl's level, the hooded Nekozawa reached out to pat his sister's head. "I thought I might find you in here, Kirimi," he said before pausing. "What happened to your hair?" He asked.

Beaming brightly, Kirimi said, "Isn't it pretty? Kagome braided it for me."

"Kagome?" Nekozawa questioned as his hidden brows drew together.

Kirimi grabbed her brother's large hand with both of her small ones as she pulled him farther into the room. "Kagome is the part of Bookworm's harem that was missing!" She provided innocently.

Kagome watched as the little girl she'd spent the afternoon with tugged a cloaked and hooded figure towards her. She only hesitated for a moment before she moved to meet them halfway. She had seen odder things, after all. Tamaki called out a harried warning to her in the background, but she quickly dismissed it when the word "curse" was mentioned. She had been cursed before—several times, in fact—and she was sure that the young man before her didn't have a dark enough soul to carry out such an act.

Haruhi quickly joined Kagome's side so that she could ward off Hikaru and Kaoru and their flashlights. "Kagome, this is Nekozawa-senpai," she quickly introduced while glaring at the twins. "He's Kirimi-chan's older brother, and he's also in the same year as Hunny-senpai and Mori-senpai."

"Umehito Nekozawa," the tall boy introduced himself with a short bow.

"It's nice to meet you, Nekozawa-senpai. I'm Kagome Higurashi, a first-year," Kagome responded with a returned bow. "You have a very cute little sister."

"Thank you," Nekozawa said. This girl was completely new to him and he wasn't sure how he felt about his beloved sister spending time with a stranger. "I don't believe I've ever seen you around school before, and I'm positive that I've never seen you in the Host Club when I've visited."

Kagome laughed lightly. "I transferred here in the middle of the term and I haven't been a part of the Host Club for very long," she explained. She tried to keep the nervousness out of her voice to be polite, but speaking with someone who kept so much of their face hidden was a little unsettling.

Nekozawa was about to say something else when Haruhi realized that she'd lost track of the twins. Before another word could be uttered, two identical shouts rang out as the Black Magic Club's president was bathed in bright light.

Kagome gasped and watched wide-eyed as the shrouded figure of Nekozawa quickly withdrew from the light with a shriek and took off towards the nearest exit while yelling at the mischievous duo over his shoulder. Completely unsure of what was proper to do, Kagome could only wave as Kirimi ran after her brother and disappeared from sight.

"You two have to quit doing that!" Haruhi chastised as she slugged Hikaru lightly in the shoulder. "You're going to give Nekozawa-senpai a heart attack one day."

"Oh, he'll be fine," Hikaru waved off as he rubbed his arm.

"Yeah," Kaoru joined in as he slung an arm around his brother's shoulders and used his flashlight to illuminate his face from below his chin. "It's all in good fun."

Tamaki chose this moment to jump into the conversation. "Haruhi is right, you idiots!" He yelled completely distraught. "One of these days you're both going to be cursed and it will be your own faults. And then what would the club do? We don't have anyone else to fill the "brotherly love" act!"

Rolling her eyes and excusing herself from the bickering, Kagome made her way towards the prep room so that she could change clothes. Her grass skirt was beginning to itch.

* * *

The hosts and hostess walked across the school's courtyard and towards the gates where their rides awaited. It only took a moment before Kyouya noticed the extra car in their usual lineup. "Who do you suppose that belongs to?" He questioned to no one in particular.

The other club members looked towards the unfamiliar Bentley, but were surprised when Kagome took a few steps away from the group as she rubbed the back of her neck awkwardly. "That's actually my ride," she said with an uneasy smile. She still wasn't completely used to the whole lifestyles-of-the-rich-and-famous thing.

"That's weird," the Hitachiin's said together. "You don't usually have a car, do you?" Kaoru asked.

"No," Kagome confessed. "But my guardian called me last night and said that he wants me to come out to his estate for the weekend."

"Oh," Haruhi said. It was all any of them could really think to say. It shouldn't have been as surprising as it was. He was her guardian. She was going to be his heir. It made sense that they would spend time together. But she rarely if ever spoke of the mysterious man, and they had honestly forgotten about him for the time. The awkward pause that settled over the group almost made it feel like they were waiting for someone to object, but everyone knew that there was no real reason to do so.

"Well," Kagome drawled as she took a slow step backwards towards the black car, "I really do need to be going. He's not very patient." She laughed at her own awkward little joke as she waved goodbye to her friends and quickly hopped into the dark car.

"That was…weird," Haruhi said to break the silence that had continued to reign after Kagome's departure. The other teens quietly agreed before bidding their own farewells and heading towards their homes for the weekend. They would make a point to ask Kagome about her behavior when they saw her on Monday.

* * *

AN: And Chapter Three is finished! I'll let you guys know right now that I will be having lots of fun with fashion (a mild obsession of mine) during this story. I'm going to reason my way into it by saying that since the members of the club pride themselves on looking their best, Kagome would now also be expected to follow suit as part of high society. And I will be posting very rough (re: sh*tty) sketches of Kagome's outfits mentioned on my deviantArt page. I'll make an announcement in an author's note when I start that, but my dA name is the same as my penname here. Anyway, thank you for reading! I really hope that I'm still meeting expectations and you're still enjoying the story. I'm super excited about the next chapter. Hopefully it will be up tomorrow. If not, don't expect an update for a couple of days because I'm going out of the state to visit a friend for a couple of days after work on Thursday (6/7/12). Enough rambling! Be sure to let me know what you think! Thanks for reading!

Note for Fools Tutor: This is no problem for me! I'm glad that you like the story. I was able to work in a little more Hunny/Mori time, and I foresee much more of it in the future. I was aware that there was a live action drama out there, but I'm fuzzy on the details of it. Also, Nekozawa will be playing a substantial background (borderline oxymoron?) role in this story. He's one of my favorite characters as well :) I look forward to hearing from you again, and I hope you enjoyed the chapter!


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I don't own, please don't sue!

* * *

The Ouran Hostess

Chapter Four

Kyouya stood in front of his full-length mirror with his chin tilted upward as he straightened his violet silk tie. Smoothing his hands down the front of his dark silver vest, he easily reached into his pocket to grab his cell phone when it began to buzz. "Yes, Tamaki?" He answered without needing to check who was calling. This was the fifth call in the last hour.

"Have you heard from the others yet?" Tamaki asked as he was finishing getting ready at his own home.

Shifting to hold the phone between his ear and shoulder so that he could button his cufflinks, Kyouya patiently answered, "I have. It appears that all of the club, with the exception of Haruhi, will be attending the party."

"Even Kagome?" Tamaki prodded from his end of the line.

Pausing momentarily in his movements, Kyouya slowly drawled, "I'm not sure. She didn't answer her phone and has yet to return my call."

Tamaki hummed into the receiver as he thought aloud. "She did say that she was visiting with her guardian this weekend."

"And many prominent names will likely be in attendance this evening," Kyouya continued the train of thought. "While I don't have the full guest list, it's not out of the question that we may run into her. The head of the Taisho Group doesn't host events often, but they tend to be quite large when he does."

"Do you think anyone else from school will be there?" Tamaki asked.

Kyouya sighed softly as he reminded himself that Tamaki was his best friend. The blonde tended to get overexcited when he was invited out to such events with his father. His grandmother usually didn't allow it. "I wouldn't be surprised," Kyouya finally answered. "These are the sort of things that business heads usually bring their older children to. It allows their successors to meet with people that they'll likely work with one day and make connections." Lifting the phone into his hand once more, Kyouya strode over to his bed where he had laid his suit jacket.

"Are your brothers coming?" Tamaki continued to question.

"Of course," Kyouya answered easily.

"Do you think that Yashuchika and Satoshi will be there with Hunny and Mori?"

"I doubt it. It will probably be another year or two before they start attending these sorts of parties."

Seeing his older sister knock lightly on doorframe to his room and wave him on, Kyouya addressed Tamaki again, "It looks as though we're leaving now, Tamaki. I'll see you later this evening." He had barely heard Tamaki's reply when he snapped his phone shut and slipped it back into his pocket.

"Kyouya, you look so handsome!" Fuyumi gushed as she stepped closer to her youngest brother. Sighing as she reached up to brush a few strands of hair out of his eyes, she added in a softer tone, "You've grown up into such a fine young man."

Sparing the woman a small but sincere smile, Kyouya folded his jacket over one arm before offering the other to his sister so that he could escort her down to the waiting car.

"I can't remember the last time Mr. Taisho hosted a party," Fuyumi mused as she adjusted the shawl she'd chosen to go with her dress.

Kyouya hummed his agreement. "This will be the first time that I've been to one," he said. "I was still too young last time. I have to admit that I'm looking forward to meeting the man."

"Oh, Kyouya," Fuyumi huffed as she lightly swatted the younger man's arm. "Can't you put aside business thoughts for one evening? This is a party! You're young and should think about having more fun. I'm sure that there will be lots of people your age there—lots of _girls _your age."

Fighting the urge to roll his eyes, Kyouya deadpanned, "Very subtle, Fuyumi."

"What?" She asked defensively. "Can you blame me? You spend all day entertaining girls with that club of yours, but you've never brought a girl home to meet us or even mentioned someone special. I'd like to be an aunt one day, thank you very much."

Kyouya did roll his eyes this time. "Then shouldn't you be talking to Yuuichi and Akito about that? They're both older than I am," he pointed out.

"And they're both just as obsessed with business as you are," she groused. "I don't know what it is with the men in this family and their work."

"Not all of us can be housewives, Fuyumi," Kyouya reminded as he offered her his hand so that she could easily slide into the family's limousine.

Gripping her little brother's steady hand, Fuyumi paused before getting into the vehicle. "Still Kyouya," she insisted. "Our brothers managed to date while they were in high school and still make top marks. You're the smartest of us all. I'm sure you would be able to manage somehow."

Deciding not to respond and simply let her believe that she had won, Kyouya helped his sister into her seat before claiming his as well. And as Fuyumi decided to keep a steady flow of conversation with the rest of their family, Kyouya sat quietly in his own thoughts trying to come up with legitimate reasons for why he didn't date.

* * *

Kyouya remained by his father's side throughout the cocktail hour as the guests mingled. It was something that was expected of the younger generation during that portion of the evening. It was a time for old colleagues and business partners to reacquaint themselves and for their children to forge new connections. He had seen his friends milling about the room with their own parents but hadn't had the chance to speak with any of them for more than a moment.

From what he had gathered, none of them had seen Kagome. Perhaps she wouldn't be attending the party after all.

Everyone was currently in a large ballroom that connected to the dining hall where dinner was to be served. From what his sister had explained, this was the customary of a Taisho party; cocktail hour in the ballroom, dinner in the hall, and then back to the ballroom for dancing and socializing after it had been cleaned and fully decorated. Decorated or not, Kyouya was silently impressed with the room.

He knew that the Taisho family was what one would call "old money" since their lineage could be traced back to the nobility of the feudal era, and the main estate was a testament to that. It still held many of its traditional Japanese qualities along the exterior, but the interior had been remodeled in a much more western fashion. But nothing was what could be called "modern" as the Ootori home was. Everything was large and grand and extravagant. It was right up Tamaki's alley.

All heads turned towards the back of the room as the double ornate doors at the top of the grand staircase opened. An elderly male servant stepped through and stood to the side as he said in a clear voice, "Announcing your evening's host, Master Sesshoumaru Taisho, and introducing his heir and successor, Young Mistress Kagome Higurashi."

Several shocked expressions were seen around the room as the pair began their descent down the staircase. Kyouya had seen pictures of Sesshoumaru Taisho before, but they didn't do justice to the commanding presence that he held. The tall man's pale skin and white hair contrasted sharply with his crisp black suit. His expression was aloof and neutral as he cast honey eyes over his guests. And on his arm—seeming to be his opposite in almost every way—was a smiling Kagome.

Kagome's lightly tanned skin glowed in the fitted white dress she wore, but the image was toned down by the black lace accents appliquéd to the gown. Her long black hair, which was usually worn loose, was pulled back into a bun of curls to the left side of her nape while her bangs and some fringe were left to frame her face.

_'She looks older in formalwear,' _was the only thought that Kyouya could solidify as part of him still reeled at discovering that the Host Club's Kagome was heir to one of the largest fortunes in Japan and quite possibly the world.

Kagome took deep breaths and forced the best smile that she could as her heart hammered in her chest. _'Please don't trip, please don't trip,' _she silently chanted to herself. She was in a new pair of high heels and, while she had worn other heels in the past, she hadn't had a chance to get used to this pair yet.

When Sesshoumaru had called her to say that all of her inheritance paperwork was finished, she'd been relieved that she wouldn't need to hide things anymore. She had arrived at his home only to be told that her announcement party would be that weekend because Sesshoumaru was leaving to attend to business overseas within the week. She had tried to tell him that everything was too short of notice, but when she had been presented with her dress for the party and the matching shoes—both in the right sizes—she knew that he'd been several steps ahead of her from the beginning.

Now, as she tried not to look like the nervous wreck that she was, all she could do was focus on her breathing and where she was stepping. Sesshoumaru barely turned to her as he quietly spoke, "You need to calm yourself."

"Easy for you to say," she grumbled under her breath. He wasn't the one that a room full of people was staring at like a side-show attraction.

The next several minutes were nothing but a blur of introductions, shaking of hands, and bowing as much as her dress would allow. Kagome knew that she would never be able to remember any of the people that she had been introduced to; her thoughts were too scrambled and her adrenaline was too high. Why couldn't her skills from the Host Club transfer into situations like this?

_'Because I know that I'm way in over my head here,' _Kagome answered her own internal question. When she felt Sesshoumaru squeeze her elbow to bring her attention back to the moment, she knew that more introductions were about to be made.

"Kagome," Sesshoumaru's deep baritone spoke. "This is Yoshio Ootori, a business associate of mine."

As soon as the name "Ootori" left Sesshoumaru's lips, Kagome scanned the family standing in front of her. Sure enough, there was Kyouya, and he was looking even more put together than usual. "Kyouya-senpai," she said cheerfully out of reflex. She had been so relieved to see a familiar face that she hadn't even realized that she'd interrupted someone who was speaking until Sesshoumaru looked at her sharply. "Oh, I'm so sorry!" She hurried to correct with a quick bow towards the speaker. "I was just so surprised to see someone familiar that I completely forgot myself," she said as she smiled and laughed nervously.

"That's quite alright, my dear," Yoshio replied smoothly. While he didn't appreciate being interrupted while speaking with one of his most esteemed partners, he wasn't about to get off on the wrong foot with the girl. Especially not when he saw a golden opportunity beginning to unfold. "I take it you know my youngest son?" He asked politely.

"Yes, sir," Kagome smiled as she quickly glanced towards the older boy. "I know him from school," she said. She didn't want to elaborate more than that. She'd heard from some of the others that Kyouya's father didn't exactly approve of the Host Club, and she was fairly certain that Sesshoumaru wouldn't love the idea either. "I met him after he helped me when I had a little…mishap one day."

"What kind of "mishap," Kagome?" Sesshoumaru asked. He was all too aware of the kind of trouble the girl was prone to.

Looking extremely sheepish, Kagome smiled unsurely as she said, "I was on my way home one day and didn't see a wet spot on the floor. I sort of slipped and fell down a flight of stairs."

Sesshoumaru's eyes widened marginally before he gave Kagome a look promising that they would speak of her "mishap" later.

A feminine gasp drew Kagome's attention back to the Ootori family. A very pretty woman had a delicate hand pressed to her mouth before she removed it and asked, "Are you alright?"

"Oh, I'm fine now!" Kagome said as she tried to politely wave off the woman's concern. "Kyouya-senpai took very good care of me." There was no harm in praising Kyouya in front of his family. From everything that she'd heard about the relationship between him and his father, it sounded like he could use someone in his corner.

"Kyouya," the woman addressed as she placed a hand on his arm. "You never said anything about that!"

Watching Kagome curiously, Kyouya replied evenly, "I didn't think that it was of any consequence. Kagome was fine, after all. I wasn't even the one who found her. Haninozuka-senpai was the one who first spotted her after she fell."

Yoshio narrowed his eyes slightly at his youngest son now that he was aware that he had been with this Host Club friends. But he directed his attention back to the white-haired man in front of him as Sesshoumaru began to speak again. "Ootori, I believe my assistant placed your family at my table for dinner this evening," he said as the doors to the dining hall began to open.

"Excellent," Yoshio said as he turned back towards his youngest. "Kyouya, since you're already acquainted with Miss Higurashi, why don't you escort her for the rest of the evening? I'm sure that she would appreciate a familiar face who was a little closer to her age." If he was able to endear his son to the girl and thereby her guardian, there were many things that he could do with such a connection.

Tensing for a moment, Kyouya knew that his father was playing at something. Yoshio Ootori rarely did anything without a reason. But, deciding to play along until he could figure out exactly what the man's ulterior motive was, Kyouya nodded once as he said, "Of course, Father." Turning towards Kagome, he extended his black-clad arm as he put all of his hosting charms to use and said, "Shall we, Miss Higurashi?"

Kagome hesitated for a moment. This was not the Kyouya that she knew. He was playing the obedient son, and this false personality set her on edge. Looking towards Sesshoumaru in silent question, she received no help as the dog demon nodded her forward with the slightest inclination of his head. Kagome stifled a sigh as she stepped forward to take Kyouya's arm and said, "Certainly, Kyouya-senpai."

The pair lingered at the back of their dining group as they made their way towards their table. In a hushed tone, Kyouya questioned, "So, heiress to the Taisho Group?"

Kagome was well aware of what he was asking. "I'm sorry, but Sesshoumaru wouldn't let me say anything," she replied in equally low tones. It's not like it mattered though. She was well aware that Sesshoumaru would be able to hear them unless they were several rooms and shut doors away.

Lifting a perfect brow, Kyouya said, "There's nothing to apologize for. I'm aware of how familial obligation works. But I have to say that I didn't see it coming. Perhaps I should have done a more in-depth search on you, after all."

"You did a search on me?" Kagome hissed lowly.

"Of course," he answered as though it should have been obvious. "I do searches on all of the club's guests. Did you really think that I wouldn't do a search on a new member?"

Kagome silently cursed Kyouya as she saw Sesshoumaru's head turn ever-so-slightly to the side. He had heard them. _'Well that's just great,' _Kagome complained in her head. Deciding to change the subject, Kagome asked, "Are any of the others here?"

"All but Haruhi," Kyouya supplied easily as he pulled out Kagome's chair and claimed the one to her left. "There are also quite a few other students from Ouran here with their parents as well. Come Monday, everyone will know about tonight."

"Great," Kagome groaned. She really didn't want to be the latest gossip topic. But when she saw Kyouya's tiny smirk she couldn't help but ask, "What?"

Allowing his smirk to grow into a full grin, Kyouya answered, "I can only imagine what this is going to do for the club's business."

As dinner's first course was brought out and different conversations were started around the table, Kagome kept glancing out the corner of her eye towards Kyouya. She had been anticipating and dreading an incredibly boring evening. But now something was telling her that it was going to be anything but dull.

* * *

AN: Okay and we're stopping there! I had originally planned for this even to take place several chapters from now, but it seemed to fit well here. The next chapter will be the second half of the evening. I decided to break it up into two parts to avoid a ridiculously long chapter. I really hope that everyone knows that this story isn't going to be any great and dramatic epic tale—just a cute and sometimes awkward story about two people falling in love despite what their better sense tells them. That said, the next chapter won't be up for a couple of days. As I mentioned in my note last chapter, I'm going out of state to visit with a friend. (She's having a Pure Romance party. If you've never been to one or heard of it and you're 18 or older, I suggest looking it up. They're insanely fun for a "girl's night in" kind of thing!) Also, as promised, I did some really quick (and crappy) clothing sketches. I was originally only going to do Kagome, but I ended up doing both Kagome and Kyouya's outfits from this chapter. They're in the same picture together on my deviant art page (username: BoxingBunny). I'm going to post the picture as soon as I post this chapter. I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Be sure to let me know what you think. Thanks for reading!

Note for Fools Tutor: I did check out the live drama! I watched the first episode and really liked it :) I plan on watching the rest once I get back from my weekend trip. And you were right; the girl's uniform was really cute! I'm glad you think the characterizations and interactions are going well. I worry about things like that xD I hope you enjoyed this chapter as well. Look forward to hearing from you again! Thanks!


	5. Chapter 5

AN: My hiatus is officially over!

Disclaimer: I don't own, please don't sue!

* * *

The Ouran Hostess

Chapter Five

Kyouya watched as Kagome laughed while being twirled on the dance floor by Mori. She had been able to relax knowing that the other hosts were there and she wasn't alone. "Still hard to believe, huh?" Kaoru's voice spoke from beside him.

"What's that?" Kyouya replied while still watching the dancing couple.

"Aside from the fact that Kagome is the Taisho heir?" Kaoru paused as he watched another teen, an Ouran second year he believed, ask to cut in and dance with Kagome. Giving Kyouya a sidelong glance, he noticed the older boy was watching the pair with sharp eyes. "Who would have guessed that Mr. Taisho would hand everything over to a commoner?"

Kyouya hummed before finally turning to face Kaoru directly. "Who else would he have named as a successor? He has no children or siblings. If he didn't name someone that he knew and picked personally, everything would have likely gone to the next person in his chain of command."

"Got me," Kaoru shrugged. "But it makes you wonder how Kagome would know someone like Sesshoumaru Taisho."

A dark brow arched at the point. Looking back to where Kagome was being led through the steps of a waltz, Kyouya made a mental note to ask Kagome about her association with the reclusive business man later. But as the string quartet ended their song and Kagome separated from her partner, Kyouya dutifully stepped forward to meet her. He was, after all, her escort for the evening.

"You dance surprisingly well," Kyouya commented as Kagome took his arm and he set them at a steady pace around the perimeter of the room.

Smiling tightly, Kagome answered, "I'll focus on the compliment hidden in that statement; Sesshoumaru taught me a few basic dances that he knew I would eventually need."

"A wise decision," Kyouya nodded. "You'll no doubt need to learn even more steps within the next year. Everyone who wishes to do business with any of the Taisho group's many businesses will be inviting you to parties similar to this one."

"Yay," Kagome drawled less than enthusiastically.

"Do you not care for parties? You'll be attending your fair share as a club member," Kyouya pointed out.

"It's not that I don't like parties," Kagome clarified. "But between how much work goes into getting ready and how long they last and trying to remember all of the dos and don'ts of this social class, it's exhausting!"

Kyouya was about to reply when he caught his father's firm gaze and decided to change the topic for the moment. Stopping their easy walk, he stepped so that he was facing Kagome and asked, "May I have this dance?"

Kagome was surprised for a moment until she looked up and saw Mr. Ootori watching them. Even though she and Kyouya didn't always see eye to eye, she figured it wouldn't hurt to make his life a little easier and appease his father. "Sure," she answered with a bright smile before placing her hand in his.

They fell into the steps easily and glided across the dance floor with the other couples. Kyouya glanced up and saw several other members of the Host Club watching them. Seeing Hikaru and Kaoru giving Tamaki a hard time reminded him of his own conversation with Kaoru earlier. "Kagome," he spoke, "I have to admit that I'm quite curious as to how you came to know Sesshoumaru Taisho."

Kagome knew exactly what Kyouya wanted to know, but she wasn't exactly sure what to say. She chewed her bottom lip for a moment while she thought about what to say, but she was startled when she felt warm fingers on her face. She stared at Kyouya wide-eyed as he used his thumb to gently pull her lip from between her teeth.

"That is a bad habit that you need to work on, Kagome," he admonished. "You are part of high society now and have to realize that everyone will always be watching everything that you do."

Kagome swallowed thickly and tried her best not to blush. She wasn't used to people touching her face like that, and the fact that this time it was a handsome young man only made her cheeks want to color more. Yes, she thought that Kyouya was handsome, but it would be a cold day in hell before she told him that. His ego was big enough as it was.

"So," Kyouya said to draw Kagome out of her inner thoughts. "I believe you were about to explain how you know Mr. Taisho."

"Oh!" Kagome squeaked as she was brought back to the moment. "Yes, ummm…" She paused for just a moment before deciding to go with a very vague and slightly altered version of the truth. "I was…involved with his younger half-brother for a while. He had ties with my family's shrine, and I eventually met Sesshoumaru through him."

Kyouya's brows knitted together as he stated, "I wasn't aware that Mr. Taisho had a brother."

"_Half_-brother," Kagome corrected. "They weren't very close, and Sesshoumaru preferred for as few people as possible to know that he had a sibling."

"And where is this _half_-brother now?" Kyouya asked genuinely curious now. As often as the Taisho name was mentioned in the tabloids, he was surprised that a sibling had never been uncovered.

Kagome faltered for a moment before finding her voice again and saying, "He had a rare blood disorder. He died about a year ago."

Kyouya saw Kagome's eyes mist over with sadness before she quickly blinked it away. Now he felt like an ass. "I'm very sorry for your loss," he said quietly.

Putting on a soft smile, Kagome said, "It's okay. You had no way of knowing."

There was just one more question nagging him, and Kyouya slowly spoke, "If you don't mind my asking, why would one of Japan's top business men name the girlfriend of a brother he didn't care for as the successor of his many companies?"

Kagome opened her mouth to speak before closing it again. A few seconds later she opened her mouth to speak again, "Sesshoumaru told me that his brother made him promise to take care of me. I guess since he didn't have anyone else to name as an heir, he decided to kill two birds with one stone."

"That seems like quite the gamble," Kyouya commented.

Shrugging one shoulder, Kagome admitted, "Even though with didn't spend that much time together, I think through what interaction we did have, Sesshoumaru started to trust me. Our relationship isn't conventional in any sense, but sometimes I think he likes me more than he liked his brother." She frowned, the thought of someone preferring an almost stranger to their only family making her very sad.

Kyouya tried to imagine what it would be like to have one of his older brothers dislike him. The song they had been dancing to ended and Kyouya led Kagome back away from those that stayed on the dance floor. He was about to ask more about her guardian's mystery brother when they were approached by a young man. Putting on a genial smile, Kyouya greeted, "Good evening, senpai."

Turning to see who Kyouya was speaking to, Kagome blinked wide eyes at the person who stood before her. Kyouya had called him 'senpai' meaning that he was a third year, but she had no idea who the young man was. He was tall and lean, wearing a light cream colored three piece suit accented with gold buttons. Underneath his vest and jacket was a soft blue dress shirt that made his piercing blue eyes stand out. Light golden hair framed his pale face, and he smiled down at her kindly despite seeming slightly uncomfortable.

"Good evening to you, Ootori-san," the young man answered as he inclined his head. "I see that you've taken it upon yourself to be Higurashi-san's escort for the evening, but I was hoping that I might have the next dance," he finished as he looked to Kagome once more for her answer.

Kagome glanced over to Kyouya for any kind of hint as to who this person was or what she should do. Seeing that Kagome was clueless as to who was speaking to her, Kyouya smirked and decided to give her an out while helping her save face. "I see that you decided to forego your black cloak and wig for the night, Nekozawa-senpai."

Kagome whipped back around to face Nekozawa with a look of unmasked shock painted across her face. Nekozawa's smile tightened marginally as he said, "At my father's request, I assure you."

"Nekozawa-senpai," Kagome finally spoke. "I'm sorry, but I didn't recognize you without your cloak."

"It's fine, Higurashi-san," he reassured. "I'm aware of how drastic the change in appearance is. But getting back to the reason that I came over, would you care to dance?"

Smiling at the young man who seemed much less imposing than the person she had met just days before, Kagome smiled and placed her hand in Nekozawa's offered palm.

Nekozawa led Kagome into the crowd of dancing people and placed his free hand on her waist before falling into the proper steps and leading the dance. "When we first met I had no idea that it was Taisho's heir who had been braiding my sister's hair. She's very taken with you, you know."

"Kirimi-chan is so cute!" Kagome gushed. "And to be fair, the other club members found out that I was Sesshoumaru's heir at the same time that you did." Pausing to look at her dance partner, Kagome grew concerned when she was him grimace slightly as a light sheen of sweat dampened his forehead. "Nekozawa-senpai, are you alright? You don't look like you feel very well."

"I'm fine," he tried to reassure as he forced a smile. "I apologize, but I'm very sensitive to light. That's why I usually have my cloak and wig."

Kagome's heart went out to the older boy who was forcing a smile despite being clearly uncomfortable. Glancing around for a possible solution to his problem, Kagome smiled when she got an idea. "Here, come with me," she said as she slipped out of Nekozawa's grip and took his hand in hers.

Tugging the tall boy behind her and trying not to trip on her long dress, Kagome led Nekozawa over to a set of glass French doors that lead out to a large stone balcony. As soon as they were outside and the doors were shut behind them, Kagome turned to see if the fair-featured young man was fairing any better. Outside under the dark night sky with the half-moon being the only light source, Nekozawa looked much more at ease. "Is this better?" She asked as she walked to join him at the stone railing.

"Much better, thank you," Nekozawa answered with an easy smile.

Kagome watched him for a moment before she decided to fill the silence. "So Tamaki-senpai says that you're able to curse people," she said with a teasing smile.

"Yes, he is quite afraid of Beelzenef," Nekozawa said with a small smirk.

"Beelzenef?" Kagome questioned.

"My curse doll," Nekozawa clarified.

"Well," Kagome drawled, "I don't know why he's so afraid of."

Nekozawa turned towards the petite young woman beside him and arched a blond brow. "Why do you say that? I am president of the Black Magic Club, you know."

"Yes, but your soul isn't dark enough to place an effective curse. Having an interest and studying the dark arts is different from actually practicing them," she explained.

"And how would you know about all of that?" Nekozawa asked genuinely curious.

"I'm a trained miko," Kagome said as she lifted her chin a little higher out of pride. "My family has run a Shinto shrine for generations, and that's where I grew up."

Nekozawa leaned down and braced his elbows on the stone railing of the balcony. He wanted to be closer to eye level with Kagome now that he was fully engrossed with what she was saying. "Do you mean to tell me that you have the ability to sense and feel different magics?"

Kagome was just about to answer when the French doors that they had exited through earlier opened and a tall figure in a dark suit stepped out. "Kagome, Sesshoumaru sent me to bring you back inside. He said he would prefer it if you stayed in the ballroom."

"Hello Kouga," Kagome greeted. "My friend, Nekozawa-senpai, looked like he needed some air so we stepped out here for a little bit."

Kouga strode over to the two teens and sized up the fair boy who was looking at him expectantly. Finally, he extended his hand and introduced himself, "Kouga Yamauchi, head of Taisho's security."

"Umehito Nekozawa," the blond reciprocated.

Turning to face Kagome, Kouga placed a gentle hand on her shoulder only to frown. "You're freezing out here. Get back inside before Sesshoumaru decides to fire me…or worse." He smirked at the look that Kagome shot him. He had been so young when they had first met, and it was only now—five hundred years later—that he realized just how young she was. "But save me a dance, alright?" He teased with a wink.

"Fine, fine," Kagome agreed as she rolled her eyes at the wolf demon. Turning back to Nekozawa, she extended a hand and said, "Shall we, Nekozawa-senpai?"

"Certainly," he agreed and offered her his arm. "Though I would like to continue our conversation at a later date." "Well you know where to find me at school," Kagome laughed as they entered the ballroom once more, leaving Kouga to wonder what she had meant with her last statement.

Upon entering the ballroom, Kagome and Nekozawa were met by Sesshoumaru's tall form. "I would like to have a private word with Kagome," he announced sparing a glance at the young man who had Kagome on his arm.

Nekozawa bowed respectfully as he said, "Certainly." Looking to Kagome as he stepped away, he inclined his head and smiled as he said, "I will see you at school, Higurashi-san."

Kagome waved as the older boy walked away before turning back towards Sesshoumaru. "Come with me," the dog demon said. As they walked, he questioned, "What is this club that the Ootori boy mentioned before supper?"

She knew that this had been coming and had already prepared her answer. "It's a social club at school. We meet after school, host parties, and have tea and snacks. Other students who aren't part of the club are invited. I've met a lot of new friends from prominent families," she explained.

"Who are the members of this club?" Sesshoumaru questioned. The fact that Kagome hadn't specifically named the club was raising a red flag in his mind, but if she was in a position to make connections with the up-and-coming business leaders of the next generations he would allow it to slide for the moment.

"Tamaki Suoh is the club president," Kagome said as she began to keep tally on her fingers. "Kyouya Ootori is vice-president, and then the other members are Hikaru and Kaoru Hitachiin, Takashi Morinozuka, Mitsukuni Haninozuka, and the school's scholarship honor student Haruhi Fujioka."

Sesshoumaru hummed to himself and nodded once. "Those are very good names to associate yourself with, Kagome. Well done," he praised.

Kagome blinked a few times, taken back by having one of Sesshoumaru's rare compliments directed her way. "Umm…thank you," she said softly.

"Now," Sesshoumaru said as they came to a stop. "I believe that the youngest Ootori son was supposed to be your escort for the evening. I suggest that you return to him."

Kagome glanced around Sesshoumaru and saw Kyouya standing with the other hosts as they talked and joked with one another. Smiling at her guardian, Kagome stepped around the tall demon and made her way back over to her friends. Tamaki was the first to spot her heading their way and greeted her as enthusiastically as always. The night was going much better than she had ever dreamed it would.

* * *

As the party wound down and guests began to leave, Kagome took her place by Sesshoumaru's side once more as they bid their guests farewell. The Ootori family was one of the last to leave, and Yoshino stopped to have a word with Sesshoumaru beforehand.

"When will we start seeing the young Miss Higurashi at board meetings? She will need to start learn the ins and outs of your empire soon," the Ootori patriarch reminded jokingly.

Sesshoumaru made a small sound of annoyance before he answered, "I'm set to leave soon for a trip overseas. She will being accompanying me upon my return."

"Excellent," Yoshino said. "Since they appear to have gotten along so well tonight, perhaps Kyouya would be a good choice to help her understand what will be going on at the meetings; a tutor of sorts?"

"We will see," was all that Sesshoumaru would say on the matter. While the youngest Ootori had done nothing so far to earn his ire, his father was pushing Sesshoumaru's patience with all of his suggestions concerning Kagome.

Nodding, Yoshino announced to his family that it was time for them to head home, but not before giving Kyouya a pointed look. Having a good idea of the angle that his father was working at this point, Kyouya sighed softly and bowed after stepping forward to take Kagome's right hand in his own. "It was a pleasure to be your escort for the evening, Higurashi-san," he said smoothly before placing a chaste kiss on the back of Kagome's hand.

Kagome blushed lightly as Kyouya stood and smoothed his jacket before following his family to their limousine. Glancing up at Sesshoumaru, her eyes widened at the sharp look that he was giving her. "What?" She questioned defensively as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"You need to learn to control that blushing habit," Sesshoumaru said flatly before turning to enter his home.

Only blushing harder at the statement, Kagome made a face at Sesshoumaru's back before trailing after him. She was more than ready to get out of her dress and into her soft pajamas.

* * *

AN: Ta-da! I'm back! It feels good to write again. I want to give a special shout-out to _demon's purity_ who kindly reminded me that my hiatus was over. Now that 'The Ouran Hostess' has been updated, 'True Legends' is next on my list! I hope to update as many of my stories as I can before I become a slave to the whim of inspiration once again. At that point there's no telling what will get updated in what order. Well, I hope that you all enjoyed the chapter, and I apologize if I'm a little out of practice. Let me know what you think, and (as always) thanks for reading!


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